How much is Band C council tax in Orkney Islands for 2025/26?

Band C in Orkney Islands is charged at 0.8889 × the local Band D rate. Orkney Islands's 2025/26 Band D is around £1,417, giving a Band C bill of about £1,260 a year (£105/month).

How do I check my council tax band in Orkney Islands?

Enter your Orkney Islands postcode into our free checker and we pull the live SAA record for your address and every neighbouring property. That single view is enough to tell you whether your Band C looks correct or whether identical homes on the same street are in a lower band.

Can I appeal Band C in Orkney Islands?

Yes. Any council tax payer in Orkney Islands can ask your local Assessor to review their band at no cost. The most reliable route is comparable-property evidence: if identical homes on your street are in a lower band, you have clear grounds. Successful challenges typically move you down a band and refund overpayments back to your move-in date.

What 1991 value puts a home in Band C?

In Scotland, Band C covers homes with an estimated 1 April 1991 value of £35,000 – £45,000. Every Orkney Islands home was banded on that basis and has not been revalued since.

How much refund could I get if my Orkney Islands band drops from C?

Dropping one band from C typically saves £150–£400 a year depending on Orkney Islands's local precepts. Refunds are backdated to when you first moved in — nine years of backdating is common, so a successful challenge can return £1,500–£3,600 as a lump sum, plus lower bills going forward.

Scotland · Scotland · 2025/26

Orkney Islands council tax bands & charges 2025/26

Orkney Islands's Band D charge for 2025/26 is around £1,417. Every other band pays a fixed multiple of that figure — Band A is 0.667×, Band H is 2.450×. Bands were set from 1 April 1991 property values by SAA; errors are common and free to challenge.

Quick answer — Orkney Islands, 2025/26

£1,417

Band D annual charge

£945

Band A annual charge

£3,472

Band H annual charge

Source: Orkney Islands Council 2025/26 budget-setting report.

Free check. See every band on your Orkney Islands street in seconds.

All council tax bands in Orkney Islands (2025/26)

Every Orkney Islands property sits in one of 8 bands (A–H), decided by its estimated 1 April 1991 market value. Band D is the reference band; every other band is a statutory ratio of it.

Band	1991 value	Ratio	Annual	Monthly	Deep-dive
A	£0 – £27,000	0.6667	£945	£79	Band A →
B	£27,000 – £35,000	0.7778	£1,102	£92	Band B →
C	£35,000 – £45,000	0.8889	£1,260	£105	Band C →
D	£45,000 – £58,000	1.0000	£1,417	£118	Band D →
E	£58,000 – £80,000	1.3139	£1,862	£155	Band E →
F	£80,000 – £106,000	1.6250	£2,303	£192	Band F →
G	£106,000 – £212,000	1.9583	£2,775	£231	Band G →
H	Over £212,000	2.4500	£3,472	£289	Band H →

Band A (up to £27,000) always pays the least; Band H pays 2.45× the Band D rate. Ratios source: Council Tax (Substitution of Proportion) (Scotland) Order 2016.

Orkney Islands council tax discounts & exemptions

Orkney Islands Council administers the standard statutory reliefs. Apply directly through their website — some backdate up to six years if you were previously eligible.

Single-person discount (25%) — you live alone, or every other adult in the home is "disregarded" (e.g. full-time students, live-in carers).
All-student household exemption (100%) — no bill if every adult in the property is a full-time student.
Severely Mentally Impaired (SMI) disregard — if the sole occupant has an SMI diagnosis and receives a qualifying benefit, the full bill can be exempted; a shared home may qualify for a 25% discount.
Empty-property relief — short discount when a property is unoccupied and unfurnished; length varies by council policy.
Council Tax Reduction (means-tested) — administered by Orkney Islands based on income, savings, and household composition.

When does Orkney Islands take payment?

The council tax year runs 1 April to 31 March. Orkney Islands issues bills in March. By default, payment is spread over 10 monthly instalments (April–January), but you can request 12 instalments (April–March) to lower each monthly amount. Direct Debit dates are typically the 1st, 15th, or 28th of the month — confirm on your bill.

Who sets bands in Scotland

In Scotland, bands are based on 1 April 1991 open-market values and are maintained by the local Assessor within the Scottish Assessors Association. Orkney Islands Council issues the bill, but only the Assessor can change the band. A successful challenge means Orkney Islands reissues your bill and refunds any overpayment — often backdated to when you moved in.

Compare your Orkney Islands band to your neighbours

We pull the live SAA record for every property on your street and neighbouring streets in Orkney Islands, so you can see at a glance whether your home is banded higher than similar properties nearby.

Build the evidence pack your local Assessor expects

Our pack includes matched comparables, a 1991 valuation summary specific to your Scotland area, and a draft challenge letter — the exact format your local Assessor works with.

Submit to your local Assessor (free) and wait for Orkney Islands to reissue

You send the pack to your local Assessor directly — they charge nothing to review. If your band drops, Orkney Islands Council automatically reissues your bill and refunds every year you were overpaying, usually back to when you moved in.

Orkney Islands council tax FAQs

Can I appeal my council tax band in Orkney Islands?

Yes. Any council tax payer in Orkney Islands can ask your local Assessor to review their band at no cost. There are two routes: a formal "proposal" (available within six months of moving in or after certain qualifying events) and an informal "band review" (available at any time). Our pack works for both, and the evidence is the same — a clear comparison against similar homes nearby.

How long does a Orkney Islands band review take?

SAA typically responds within 2–4 months. If they agree the band should change, Orkney Islands Council is notified automatically and issues a corrected bill plus any refund — usually within a further 4–8 weeks. If SAA disagrees, you can escalate to the Local Taxation Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland free of charge.

Will Orkney Islands Council refund overpaid council tax?

Yes — refunds are backdated to the date the incorrect band took effect, which is usually the date you moved in (and in some cases as far back as 1991). The refund is issued by Orkney Islands Council directly, not by SAA, once they receive the updated banding notice.

How is my Orkney Islands council tax bill split up?

Your Orkney Islands bill is a share of your council's total budget, plus precepts collected on behalf of water and waste (Scottish Water). Every band pays a fixed ratio of the Band D figure; Orkney Islands publishes the split each year in their budget-setting report.

Do I get a discount on my Orkney Islands council tax?

Common discounts include the single-person 25% discount (only one adult living in the home), the student exemption (all-student households pay nothing), the Severely Mentally Impaired disregard, and empty-property relief for short periods after a move. Orkney Islands Council administers all of these — apply directly through their website.

Refund calculator

Estimate your Orkney Islands refund if your band drops.

1991 value estimator

Back-calculate your property’s valuation-date value.

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Other areas in Scotland

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2025/26 figures. Band D sourced from Orkney Islands's published budget. Page last reviewed 14 July 2026.